In an effort to not bombard you with pumpkin recipes this fall, I’m trying to keep my cool and limit myself to baking only one pumpkin recipe per week. It’s so hard! I want to throw my beloved pumpkin puree into everything. Even in my macaroni and cheese. And my chili! And even in my smoothies.

While I’ve thrown pumpkin into just about everything recently, I’ve yet to add my favorite autumn ingredient into a rice krispie treat. Another love of mine! Easy and thoughtless to whip up, rice krispie treats have been a go-to staple in my kitchen for years. There’s no science behind ’em. Melt, stir, press, done. Complicated and time-consuming? Fuh-get-about-it!

Why rice krispie treats are truly the apple of my eye is because they are the perfect “blank canvas” recipe. There’s so much room for creating something showy and unique. If you want to add some pizazz to your dessert, start with rice krispies and marshmallows.

With all of this being said, there was an obvious need for a pumpkin rice krispie treat in my recipe box! I hopped right to it. 🙂

Plain and simple, these are rice krispie treats with pumpkin puree and spices mixed in. There’s only a precise 1/4 cup of pumpkin in the recipe because you don’t want a huge gloppy mess of treats that won’t stick together due to all of the pumpkin’s moisture. Any more pumpkin would create quite the soggy treat. I made sure to boost the spices to make up for the lighter addition of pumpkin puree.

Two important tips:

I find that blotting the moisture out of the pumpkin works the best and will prevent your treats from getting soggy. There is SO much moisture in pumpkin puree, so you want a lot of it out. What I usually do is explained below in the recipe, but here it is: measure 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree (fresh or canned) and then blot it between two paper towels, just as you do with bacon. You’re “squeezing” the moisture out.

Another tip proven beneficial is to allow the pumpkin/marshmallow mixture to cool before adding in the rice krispies. Usually you can add the cereal right into the hot melted marshmallow, but you’ll want today’s mixture to slightly cool and thicken back up before the cereal goes in. Get it? Got it. Good. Moving on…

The little white chocolate/pumpkin decoration on top was an afterthought and it’s completely optional. I happen to be a tad obsessed with those candy corn mallowcreme little pumpkins, so onto the treats they went. Plus, they’re just so darn cute!

The pumpkin and all of those autumn spices hit all of the right notes, the white chocolate gives the treats some extra flair and the pumpkin candy is the Halloween cherry on top. They are the perfect no-bake treat for a fall day!

Directions:

Generously spray a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick spray. I used an 11x7 because I like thicker treats - go with your preference. Set pan aside.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add the pumpkin puree and continue to cook until it is warmed through. Fold marshmallows, stirring frequently until almost completely melted. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt, and remove from heat.

Allow the marshmallow mixture to cool for 20 minutes or until it is at room temperature (failure to cool the mixture will result in soggy rice krispie treats). Add the cereal and stir until combined.

Pour mixture into prepared baking pan and gently spread out evenly. I sprayed the back of a large spatula with non-stick spray and gently pressed the mixture without packing it down. Allow to set for about 30 minutes before cutting into squares. Melt white chocolate and drizzle on top.

Store in an airtight container up to one week. You could even cut these treats into pumpkin shapes or decorate with regular candy corns. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

I find that blotting the moisture out of the pumpkin works the best and will prevent your treats from getting soggy. There is SO much moisture in pumpkin puree, so you want a lot of it out. What I usually do is explained below in the recipe, but here it is: measure 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree (fresh or canned) and then blot it between two paper towels, just as you do with bacon. You're "squeezing" the moisture out.

That’s great to hear Heather! I eat pumpkin year round as well. Glad I am not the only one! Pumpkin knows no seasons!

It’s time for pumpkin season again!! I’ve been enamored with your yummy looking sweets for a little while, but this is the first I’ve actually tried. It’s AMAZING!!! Totally lives up to what I was imagining 🙂 can’t wait to try more of your recipes – thanks for sharing them!

It doesn’t matter what size can – just measure 1/4 cup of puree from the can.

oops that’s 1/4 a cup, thought I saw can!

Hey Sally! I can’t even put into words how delicious these are. I just finished making them now for a church picnic, and I don’t want to give them up! I definitely agree with you on using a 7″x11″ pan, I like mine thicker as well. I added chopped Craisins on top of the white chocolate and they were like the icing on the cake 😀

Teresa, I just love your idea of adding chopped craisins on top! I’ll have to try that next time. I plan to make these rice krispie treats for my friends when I visit them next weekend. Love how easy they are!

Sally,

I was craving Rice Krispie treats today and knew that if I browsed your website, I would find a great version is this snack! The mixture is currently cooling and I cannot wait to try them. THANK YOU for creating such wonderful recipes! Lately I have been baking everything that pops into my head because I know I have a reliable source to go to for recipes. You are one amazing lady!